Alabama Waterdog (Amphibians of Alabama)

Alabama Waterdog

Necturus alabamensis

Summary ⁶

The Alabama waterdog, Necturus alabamensis, is a medium-sized perennibranch salamander inhabiting rivers and streams of Alabama. It is listed as endangered by the IUCN.

Range description ⁷

This species can be found in the upper (Appalachian) portions of the Black Warrior River drainage, Alabama, USA (Bart et al. 1997). Populations are known to occur in the Sipsey Fork and Brushy Creek, Winston County; Mulberry Fork, Blackwater Creek, and Lost Creek in Walker County; North River and Yellow Creek, Tuscaloosa County; and Locust Fork and Blackburn Fork in Blount County (Bailey 2005). This species can be expected to potentially inhabit the same streams as the threatened flattened musk turtle (Sternotherus depressus), which is also restricted to permanent streams above the fall line in the Black Warrior River basin (Mount 1975). More than 120 sites have been sampled for waterdogs since 1990 (Guyer 1997), and the species has been reported from only ten sites (equal to an eight per cent success rate) in four counties, despite surveys in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, and 1998 (Bailey 1995; Guyer 1997, 1998). Sites surveyed included all stream localities within the range of the species that approached or intersected roads and had appropriate habitat. Guyer (1997) did a statistical analysis of all waterdog field survey data. He concluded that waterdogs were unlikely to have been missed if they were present, especially at sites visited more than once. The data indicated that 200 additional surveys would be needed to discover a single new locality for the species.